wildekatjiepiering
umPhazane-mkhlu
iBolo
Evergreen tree (4 – 20 m) with glossy, dark green leaves clustered at branch tips. Bell-shaped, creamy-white flowers (Dec – Feb) with maroon streaks and intense fragrance. Large, hard, spherical fruits (70 mm) persist until dry season.Ecological role: Key food source for frugivores; critical for forest understory regeneration. Valued in gardens for shade and fragrance.
Insects: Flowers attract hawk moths (Nephele comma), bees, and beetles.Wildlife: Fruits eaten by samango monkeys, bushbuck, and Knysna louries.Primates: Vervet monkeys disperse seeds.Soil: Improves soil moisture retention; not a nitrogen fixer.Ecosystem Services: Seed dispersal by primates/birds aids forest regeneration.
Flowers: Scented, night-blooming; pollinated by moths.Fruits: 70 mm, hard-shelled; split to release seeds eaten by birds/mammals.Seed dispersal: Primates, birds, gravity.
Fruit-eaters: Knysna louries, hornbills.Insectivores: Attract arthropods for flycatchers.Nesting: Dense foliage used by robins.
Collection: Collect ripe brown fruits.Storage: Sow fresh (viability <6 months).Germination: Soak seeds 24h, plant in sandy soil; 70% success in 14 days.
Low success (<20%); semi-hardwood cuttings with rooting hormone in mist beds.
Medicinal: Root infusions treat skin conditions.Cultural: Sacred in some Zulu rituals.Toxicity: Non-toxic.Fodder: Not used for livestock.
